Corrupt
by AudreyEve
Summary: P.O.P substory, Action, adventure and romance. Going for a more descriptive style. Tell me what you think! M for later lemon, curse words and intense violence


"Whoah, what luck!" A handsome voice broke through the blackness in waves, bringing along other sensations. I could feel hot little grains sticking to my back and the baking sun burning my exposed skin.

Something moved in front of my vision, turning the insides of my eyelids from red to blue and I felt fingers moving against my wrist, checking for a pulse presumably. I just couldn't seem to open my eyes, so instead I moved my fingers to lightly brush his hand.

"Can you hear me?" The palms of his hands cupped my cheeks and I slowly opened my eyelids, my vision hazy and blurred. The figure above me faded in and out, so I reached up, feeling some sort of armor covering his arms and as my hand fell, it skimmed along the hilt of a sword. For some reason, a chill ran down my spine, the places where my skin touched the metal oddly tingling.

"What's your name? Can you speak?" He asked, lifting me into a sitting position against his knee and pressing a canister of some sort to my lips. The water inside was stale and just made me that much thirstier. He pulled it away too soon.

I shut my eyes again and was immediately assailed by a fit of coughing. He patted my back, and when I opened my eyes everything was clearer.

Miles of sun-scorched desert stretched before me, reminding me of how I got here. If this man were to find out who I was, he would undoubtedly hold me for ransom, so I scrambled for a different name.

I glanced over at him, name in mind, and stopped. The man was large, sinewy, almost graceful, with deep black hair and darkly tanned skin. Armor and long cuts of cloth were draped over him, all very expensive looking. Behind him, a camel waited with large, bulging satchels. I thought I spied a glint of gold under one of the buckles, but I couldn't be sure. Who exactly is this man? I'd never before seen him in the Kingdom.

The spiky disarray of his hair distracted me a moment, and when my eyes finally reached his face again, his expression was bemused. "Like what you see?" He asked with a devious grin, and I snorted. Whatever impression his good looks had bought him in the beginning was now trampled.

"Listen up," I said, "My name is Arana and I need to get out of the Kingdom. You will be rewarded for your services."

He smirked, "You're pretty and all, but I aint takin no orders from you. Besides, I'm just on my way into the Kingdom now, and I have well enough money to settle down."

"I command you?" It sounded like a question. I wasn't used to being refused.

He laughed loudly. "No way, beautiful. I would have helped you a few years ago, but I'm all worn out right now. So listen, you'll die if you stay out here, so I'm bringing you to the Kingdom with me."

I nearly had a stroke, "I can't go back there, please don't make me! Is there not some neighboring village who can sell me a camel? I'll go alone if I must. And what do you mean you're worn out? You only look about 23."

"Hmm, smart girl. I guess I know a place. Hop on, and if I ever catch you peeking around in my stuff, I won't be so pleasant. Beautiful as you may be, I'm only into princesses and in rags like that, you aint no princess."

I barked a laugh. I wonder how he would treat me if he knew who I really was! After a few seconds of him looking at me funny, I cleared my throat. "Very well, you will take me to the village and be my escort until I depart. In return, I will give you very useful information." I winked and climbed onto the camel.

"You're gonna be trouble, I can tell." He sighed, heaving himself over with a troubled look.

---

The ride to the village was quiet. All the while I considered my circumstances. Surely father sent people out to search for me, and if they found me, terrible things would happen. Not from my father himself, but from my suitor, a man not to be trifled with. It was up to me to either escape or die, and as I had nearly experienced the latter, it was time to come up with a plan.

"What are you running from?" He asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"A very evil man." I murmured, unwilling to give out much information.

"Huh, why is he evil?" He grunted, mild curiosity in his voice.

The sun was setting and I sighed, I guess I could tell him more. Soon I would be gone, and I'd never see him again. "You probably won't believe me…"

"Ha!" he laughed, "try me. I'm well acquainted with the unbelievable"

I sighed again, "He's simply a very bad man with very iniquitous motives and a whole lot of power."

"That doesn't seem so unbelievable." He said.

"Yes, yes. Every man has a dark side, I know." I said bitterly. He had turned to stare, and when I looked up, he glanced away. "I guess that parts not hard to explain, but I've seen and heard things…unbelievable."

"Go on." His voice was soft and I had to strain to catch it over the sounds of the howling winds over the dunes.

I lay my head against his back, far too tired to do much of anything. The words were slow and quiet, and I had to clear my throat twice before I could begin.

"In the Kingdom, as you may know, men are uncovering more and more of the ancients knowledge, and along with knowledge, many are attempting to gain the power of the magi, though it has been said to be lost forever, buried along with those who knew the Earth's best kept secrets…"

"I know." He said oddly.

"You know? How?" I asked, curiosity burning in my words.

"If we ever meet again, I'll be sure to tell you. Please continue."

"Okay… Well, a few of the ancient texts were recovered, passed along family lines sworn to protect the secrets. Last year the last of one of the few lines was murdered, the text stolen. A large hunt ensued, great rewards for anyone with information. We did get false leads, but no luck, until…"

"Until?"

"I saw the text used with my very eyes by my Fathers most loyal advisor, the man I am supposed to marry. It was terrible…" I shivered violently, not all from cold.

He reached back and undid his cape, throwing it over my shoulders. "It's okay… I know… Just sleep for now. We'll figure it out."

For the first time in a while, bundled up against a strangers back, I felt truly safe.

---

"Arana, wake up."

I opened my eyes to the morning light, the wind still slightly cool. Smoke roiled up from over a large hill. It must be where the village is.

"Arana, something's not right. There's never smoke this early in the morning." He sounded sure.

"How do you know?" I asked, the illusion of safety dissipating quickly.

"I just know. Come on!" He left his camel under cover of the hill and grabbed my hand, running me to the edge.

The small village was destroyed, charred houses spilling flame through the doors and windows. "Oh, no." He said.

Dark shapes emerged from the ruins, slithering toward us soundlessly. They looked like blobs of tar, tentacles reaching out to corrupt anything untouched by their infectious miasma.

"Arana, run!" He shouted as a blob detached itself from one of the larger masses and was hurled straight at us. It hit him, the inky tentacles wrapping around his arms and face. I stood there motionless, my mouth wide open, and then, not knowing what I was doing before I did it, I ran at him screaming, tearing at the mass tangled around him with my bare hands. Its consistency was that of tar, where my hands touched it, they were enveloped. I screamed louder, willing every bit of my soul to save him.

Suddenly I was thrown back, a brilliant light exploding in front of my eyes, leaving flashes behind my eyelids. When I looked up, he was fighting it, a sort of glove on his hand with blades like claws spearing the mass and hurtling it into the air. He jumped after it, his creepy glowing sword slicing it in half. When it landed, it reformed back into the deadly mass, completely unscathed.

"It's no use! Arana, you must run! Save yourself!" He shouted before he lunged after the slowly advancing army of writhing masses.

I ran after him anyways and rifled through my robes for my lucky charm, a jeweled dagger passed down my family line for generations. Side by side we slashed through the corruption, being driven back towards the sandy hill slowly but surely. My knife seemed to have better effect than his gauntlet, so I took partial lead.

The corruption would shoot tentacles straight at us if we got too close, and blocking every new attack began to wear us down. I looked at him, sweat streaming down his face and made a decision I knew I would regret.

I used all my might to throw him over the hill after his donkey and ran towards the corruption, knowing full well it was me it was after. It gladly reached out for me, binding my arms and legs, coiling up my body. The sensation was that of being drained. I could feel it sucking the warmth from me, my soul being eaten away piece by piece.

The last thing I saw was the man running towards me, his face a mask of horror, sword deadly and aimed at my captor, before I sank under, echoing blackness all that was left. I knew it wasn't over for me. I knew my troubles had just begun.


End file.
